Duke Ellington Orchestra's first concert in HK to open "Jazz Up" series＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

The legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra will perform in Hong Kong for the first time in September, with local jazz vocalist Elaine Liu as guest singer, to raise the curtain on this year's "Jazz Up" series.

One of the most remarkable orchestras in jazz, the Duke Ellington Orchestra was led by prolific composer and bandleader Duke Ellington (1899-1974) for 50 years. He created over 2,000 pieces of music, including "Take the A-Train", "It Don't mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Black, Brown and Beige", "Liberian Suite" and "Afro-Eurasian Eclipse".

Ellington loved writing music for his band. The tunes he composed gave each member a chance to shine. The versatile musician also wrote an incredible amount of music for different types of projects - musical reviews, movies, Broadway productions, and more. A winner of 13 Grammies, Ellington was awarded a "lifetime achievement award" in 1966.

The orchestra is currently led by Duke Ellington's grandson and the Ellington legacy lives on. In 2007, the orchestra travelled all over the continents to play and promote the music of Duke Ellington. The orchestra was the featured performer at the prestigious Tokyo Jazz Festival and the Cape May Jazz Festival (one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the United States). The orchestra has completed a Far East tour that included its first ever performances in China in 2009, to critical acclaim.

One of the programmes to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth Stadium, "Jazz Up: The Duke Ellington Orchestra" is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The concert will be at 8pm, September 3, at the Arena, Queen Elizabeth Stadium. Tickets priced at $150, $280, $450 and $550 are now available at URBTIX outlets, on the Internet and by credit card telephone booking. Senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients may have 50% off (limited quotas for students and CSSA recipients on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20% is offered for group booking.

For enquiries about the associated events - a pre-concert talk and workshop - please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp . Ticketing enquiries can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online at www.urbtix.hk .